Buying a house can depress credit scores. How long it takes to recover

The study analyzed the credit scores of more than 5,000 consumers who took out a mortgage in 2015 and 2016. On average, scores took an average 160 days to hit their lowest point after the purchase of a house and another 161 days to return to their previous levels (nearly 11 months total).

Credit-reporting firms — i.e., Equifax, TransUnion, Experian — consider your overall debt burden as part of their calculation for your number. They also consider how well you’ve managed past debt, including whether you made payments on time. Generally speaking, the higher your score, the better terms you can get on a variety of consumer debt.

So while your score is reduced after taking out a mortgage, you might face paying a higher interest rate on, say, a new credit card or car loan.